May 18, 2012

SureWest Sports has named Joey Rollings and Mike Yates as its High School Coaches of the Year for the 2011-12 academic year, SureWest.com host Mike Finnerty announced Friday.

The honors are based on achievement, leadership and sportsmanship.

Rollings led Sheldon to a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I three-peat and to a Northern California large-school championship, the only public school in regional history to do so. Sheldon reached the state title game before losing to national power Mater Dei of Santa Ana. Rollings was also named The Bee's 2012 Boys Basketball Coach of the Year following the season.

Sheldon returns a wealth of talent next season and will attempt to become the first boys team in section history to four-peat in D-I.

Yates led Union Mine of El Dorado to a CIF Division IV State Championship, beating La Jolla Country Day near San Diego 3-1 to cap a 32-5 season. Union Mine played - and beat - a number of larger-school teams during the season.

Winning a state volleyball title is difficult as the only other area team to win a state championship at any level was St. Francis in 2005 at Division III. Yates retired from coaching on top. Yates was also The Bee's 2011 Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Also: we join Mike Finnerty on the SureWest Sports Radio Show on Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. to break down a wild week of baseball playoffs, including several pitching gems such as David Smith tossing a no-hitter for Elk Grove to beat Napa 1-0. Guests include Elk Grove coach Jeff Carlson.

We will also talk about the SureWest Coaches of the Year, the latest on the Jesuit football coaching search and other news and notes.

About the Prep blog

Bee staff writers Joe Davidson and Bill Paterson provide news, analysis and insight on the area high school sports scene in their Prep Blog. Have a question to ask them? Send them an email any time at jdavidson@sacbee.com or bpaterson@sacbee.com.